Integrated Dropper Tube Structure for Accurate Dosing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drop-type drug tubes face challenges such as narrow discharge cross-sectional areas leading to inaccurate dosing, difficulty in aligning drug injection devices, high defect rates during manufacturing, and inefficient space utilization due to separate bonding of body and cover parts.

Innovation Solution

The method involves integrally injection-molding the body and cover parts with angled upper and lower insertion parts to facilitate easy drug injection, minimize defects, and maximize space utilization, using materials like ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to enhance durability and safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the body part and cover part are separately injection-molded and then bonded, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity and defect rates increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the body part and cover part into a single integrated component that is injection-molded as one piece. This eliminates the bonding process between separate parts, reducing manufacturing steps and potential defect sources while maintaining design flexibility through the integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Volume of moving object

If the drug discharge part has a narrow cross-sectional area, then space utilization is improved, but dosing accuracy and alignment difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace utilizationVSAvoid dosing accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces angled upper and lower insertion parts that extend from the drug discharge part at predetermined angles. This dimensional extension creates a larger effective discharge area while maintaining compact storage volume, improving both dosing accuracy and alignment ease without sacrificing space efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the upper insertion part and lower insertion part are bonded together, then structural stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The upper insertion part and lower insertion part are designed as integral components of the single injection-molded body, eliminating the need for separate bonding operations. The angled configurations provide inherent structural stability while simplifying manufacturing to a single molding process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Productivity

If multiple drop-type drug tubes are placed and processed simultaneously, then productivity is improved, but process difficulty and defect rates increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebatch processing capabilityVSAvoidprocess difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the integrated body structure with distinct functional zones (drug accommodation part, angled insertion parts, and discharge parts) that can be independently optimized. This segmentation within the integrated structure allows for standardized mass production while maintaining ease of operation through consistent, simplified geometry across multiple units.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4464289B1Drop-type drug tube and its manufacturing method
Publication Date: 2026.01.21 WELLS BIO
  • EP4464289B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4464289B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP4464289B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

Provided is a drop-type drug tube. The drop-type drug tube includes a body part which defines an outer appearance and in which a drug is accommodated, and a cover part integrated with the body part and provided to be removed when the drug is used. The body part includes a drug accommodation part having an internal space to accommodate the drug, a body support part provided to extend to the outside of the drug accommodation part, an upper insertion part inclinedly extending upward from the drug accommodation part and the body support part so as to be away from the cover part, and a lower insertion part provided to face the upper insertion part and inclinedly extending downward from the drug accommodation part and the body support part so as to be away from the cover part. Injection molding is performed in a state in which a mold is injected between the upper insertion part and the lower insertion part to define the internal space, and after the mold is removed, the drug is put into the internal space, and the upper insertion part and the lower insertion part are bonded to each other. As a result, a manufacturing defect rate may be reduced by having a structure with low process difficulty.